Bitter melon, or Momordica charantia, belongs to the Cucurbitaceae plant family, making it related to cucumbers and gourds. This annual plant naturally occurs in the tropical regions of Asia, South America, India and Africa. Also called balsam pear, bitter gourd and bitter cucumber, this plant bears very bitter-tasting fruit pods. You can eat bitter melon vines, leaves, seeds and seed oils, but the raw fruit contains the most nutrients. Talk to your doctor before consuming bitter melon to treat specific health issues.
Nutritional Content
According to Drugs.com, bitter melon is a rich source of vitamin C and a good source of folate, vitamin A and potassium. This low-sodium, low-sugar fruit also contains healthy levels of dietary fiber and several fatty acids, including oleic, steric and palmitic acids. Bitter melon contains few calories, very little fat and no cholesterol.
Vitamin C
Bitter melon offers you a rich food source of vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, 1 cup of raw bitter melon fruit contains about 78 mg of vitamin C. Medline Plus reports that your body needs vitamin C to form scar tissue, heal wounds and maintain teeth and bone health. The antioxidant agents in vitamin C help your body fight the free radicals linked to cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Folate
The USDA National Nutrient Database reports that 1 cup of bitter melon gives you 67 mcg of folate, also called vitamin B-9 and folic acid. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, folate helps your body make and repair red blood cells. Folate also seems to reduce levels of homocysteine, a substance linked to coronary heart disease. The Office of Dietary Supplements adds that folate deficiencies might cause cellular damage that could later lead to the formation of cancer cells. Future research is needed on the effects of bitter melon on cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention.
Potassium
The University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, notes that all of your organs, tissues and cells require potassium to function properly. One serving of bitter melon gives you about 275 mg of potassium, according to the USDA National Nutrient Database. The UMMC reports that low potassium levels might be linked to hypertension and strokes, but more studies are needed to confirm these claims. Potassium supplements don't seem to offer the same health benefits as food sources, so eating bitter melon can be a natural way to meet your potassium needs.
Other Health Benefits
The dietary fiber in bitter melon can improve the health of your bowels by preventing and relieving constipation, as well as reducing your risk of hemorrhoids, according to the Mayo Clinic. They add that dietary fiber seems to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels. According to Drugs.com, animal studies indicate that the active compounds in bitter melon appear to have hypoglycemic effects, including improving insulin sensitivity and increasing glucose tolerance. Future clinical studies are needed to test the effects of bitter melon on human subjects.
Member Comments